Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a system for generating liquid fertilizer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a continuous process for production of liquid fertilizer.
Description of Related Art
It has been known to produce liquid compost as a liquid fertilizer, which is a suspension containing water and composted organic material, such as wood chips and/or animal waste. Liquid compost is typically dispensed through an irrigation system, or through some other spray device, so that the material can be spread over a large area of crops, turf, and/or ornamental plants.
In the prior art, liquid compost has been produced in a batch process. That is, a quantity of organic matter is placed in a vessel, and is then combined with water. The material may be stirred until the desired consistency is reached. The resulting suspension is liquid compost, which is removed from the vessel, at which point another batch can be made. The device used to make the liquid compost is known as an extractor, because the product is extracted from the organic material.
The compost extractors of the prior art are essentially batch processors. While attempts to automate the process have been proposed, the automation has been limited to the use of conveyors to deliver organic material to the extractor. The devices of the prior art cannot be used to produce liquid compost on a continuous basis. Moreover, the task of delivering organic material to the extractor, and removal of spent organic material, is a labor-intensive process which has not been automated in prior art devices. Also, the making of liquid compost is an inherently messy procedure, and creates a disposal problem.
The same problems are encountered in the making of “compost tea”, which is similar to liquid compost, except that the water used to make the product has an oxygen content sufficient to support the growth of microorganisms. A compost tea is typically made by supplying a kit which includes a “tea” bag containing compost, with the addition of other chemicals, and brewing the “tea” in liquid, in the presence of oxygen, for an extended period of time. The resulting compost tea may be used as a fertilizer, or as a composition for preventing plant diseases.
Therefore, what is needed is a system that may efficiently and effectively provide a continuous process to produce the desired liquid fertilizer.